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Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian
Authority signed an agreement in Washington today paving the way for
the construction of a pipeline
that would link the Red Sea with the Dead Sea. Under the terms of the
agreement, the Dead Sea conduit would transport around 200 million
cubic metres of water annually to the north. Israel would receive
around 30-50 million cubic metres of this water from the new pipeline
to irrigate the south. Jordan would take around 50 million cubic
metres. In exchange Israel would transport around 80 million cubic
metres of water from the Sea of Galilee to northern Jordan and the
Palestinian Authority.

Around 95 percent of the water from the
Jordan river is currently used by Israel and Jordan for irrigation
purposes. As a result the Dead Sea has been shrinking rapidly. Every
year the water level of the sea drops by around one metre. Hotels
that were once built on its shore now lie around 2000 feet from the
water's edge. Experts believe that unless something is done soon, the
Dead Sea could dry up completely within 40-50 years time. Politicians
hope that today's deal will prevent that, as well as giving a boost
to the local economies of Israel and Jordan. But environmentalists
fear the project could do more harm than good. Part of the Great
Rift Valley fault line runs through the Mount of Olives, along
the Jordan river and through the Gulf of Aqaba. Because of this the
region is prone to frequent earthquakes, and a pipeline carrying salt
water could do immense damage to agriculture if cracked. The Israeli
government has agreed that the pipeline will be built on Jordanian
side of the river, to try and circumvent these environmentalist
issues. The politicians believe it could be completed within a four
to five year period. But we believe the Bible indicates that this
project will never be realized.

The Bible describes the plain of Jordan
at one time as being like a garden of Eden, so lush was its
vegetation and so well-watered (Genesis 13:10). But the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Abraham and Lot changed all
that. As a result the region came under the curse of God, and to this
day, nothing much grows there. The salt content of the Dead Sea is
such that it is incapable of supporting life. Men have tried their
best to lift God's curse on the region by proposing various schemes
to link the sea with either the Mediterranean or the Red Sea. But
every time their plans have come to nothing. This time will be no
different. For the Bible declares that the Lord Himself will be the
one who will lift the curse of the Dead Sea and bring healing to that
land.

The prophecy of Zechariah predicts that
at the time of the end, the topography of Jerusalem and the Jordan
Valley will be changed dramatically. Zechariah 14 states that at the
Messiah's return, there will be a very great earthquake. The Mount of
Olives will split in two (Zechariah 14:4), and the Jordan valley
region will be lifted up (Zechariah 14:10). As a result of these
changes, water will issue out of an underground spring at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and
will flow down towards the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba and
the Dead Sea. The Bible says that these 'living waters' will bring life and healing to the waters of the Dead Sea (Ezekiel 47:8-9).

Ezekiel 47:10And it shall come
to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En–gedi even
unto En–eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their
fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea,
exceeding many.

The same principle can be applied to
you and me today. There was a time when mankind enjoyed a perfect
relationship with his Creator. We read in Genesis that Adam walked
with God in the garden of Eden. But Adam's disobedience brought about
a separation from God (Genesis 3:8, 24), and as a result of his sin,
death and the curse came into our world (Romans 5:12). Men have tried
their best to lift the curse through various means. Some think that
by doing good deeds they will somehow merit favour with God. Others
try their best to keep the commandments. But these ways cannot take
away sin or restore our relationship with God. It is only through the
Messiah coming into our hearts that our sin can be taken away and the
curse can be lifted. It is only through trusting in what He has done
for us upon the cross that we can have eternal life and enjoy a
relationship with God once more (Isaiah 53:11). He is the one who
bore the penalty for our sin when He gave His life upon the cross. He
is the one who can lift sin's curse and bring us life.

Jesus said in John 7:37-38, “If
any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on
me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water.” Would you like to have this 'living water'?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31).